Barbara Benda

 Woolly Boy is my promotional piece that will be displayed at the Plains Art Museum Studio Crawl Preview. I am working hard every day to prepare for the Studio Crawl on October 4th and 5th. It is a special weekend for the general public to visit the studios of artists in the area, free of charge. Pick up your brochure/map  at business places or the Plains Arts Museum to plan your outing to artist studios in the surrounding area. You can contact me on my website if you want to have a brochure mailed to you.  This is my first year on the Crawl and I plan to have a variety of activities going on  in my studio with demonstrations in both watercolor and acrylic painting. I will have artwork for sale in the form of cards, small, matted works, medium matted works, and larger framed pieces. I am excited, especially because I have the next two months to prepare my latest best work to share with you!  So, save the date!

I am happy to announce my summer workshop schedule for this summer, sponsored by the Red Door Art Gallery in Wahpeton. I am so grateful for the Red Door Art Gallery for giving me this great opportunity to teach in the Tech Building on the beautiful NDSCS campus.  The room is spacious and class sizes are limited for individualized instruction. In addition to my Creative Journey classes, I am teaching a new one in July on Acrylic Mixed Media Collage. Please consider nourishing your soul with a workshop this summer. Everyone is a creative person! I believe this!  I can help you relax and get in touch with the artist within. All course descriptions are given in the posts below. Please email me if you have any questions.

Acrylic Mixed Media Collage– July 8th

Creative Journey I– July 15th and 16th

Creative Journey II- Will be re-scheduled for another time.

Play Your “A” Game

Are you interested in learning how to start painting or, perhaps, you have let those paints and pencils sit for a few years, collecting dust, and you need some motivation to respond to your creative urges?

Thanks to the Red Door Art Gallery of Wahpeton, I will be offering my course The Creative Journey I: Exploration in Drawing and Watercolor this July 15^th and 16th, from 9:00-4:00 daily at the Tech Building on the beautiful NDSCS campus in Wahpeton, North Dakota.

This two-day workshop is an introductory overview of non-threatening drawing and watercolor techniques to spur the creative energy of all levels of artists. This course will include topics such as sketchbook journaling, making effective value studies, making sense of the color wheel, tips on creating strong compositions, and learning to deal with the “inner critic” and other blocks to creative progress. The cost of instruction is $150 for two days.  Those who are new to watercolor may purchase a “sampler kit” for a small fee.  Watercolor paper will be supplied.

The Red Door Art Gallery in Wahpeton will be handling the registration and payment. Payment is due upon registration. Call the Red Door Art Gallery at (701) 591-1010 or email the www.reddoorgallerywahpeton.com/ to sign up today. It’s time to jump start your creativity and begin a journey that will last a lifetime.

Creative Journey I and II Supply List:

Note: I will supply watercolor paper for all of the exercises. If you prefer to bring your own watercolor paper , please bring it to the class.

-A container for holding water (ice cream bucket or large plastic container

-masking tape

– any soft brushes of various sizes, but I will have some available for those who do not have brushes

-a sketchbook to be used for journaling and drawing exercises. It does not have to be brand new. Bring a pen you enjoy using for writing.

– a variety of pencils and a fine-tipped Sharpie marker.

– paper towels

– photographs of subject matter you enjoy. If you are able, please enlarge and photocopy one or two of them. Black and white photo references are very helpful

when learning about value.

-a plastic palette or lid to mix paints*

-any watercolor tubes and brushes you may have. IF YOU do not have these, please consider purchasing a sampler kit I will have available for you to purchase for a small fee. *

*Sampler kit includes a plastic palette, a brush,three watercolor tubes, and watercolor paper.